Determine the BigchainDB Root URL

If you want to use the BigchainDB Python Driver to communicate with a BigchainDB node or cluster, then you will need its BigchainDB Root URL. This page is to help you determine it.

Case 1: BigchainDB on localhost

If a BigchainDB node is running locally (and the BIGCHAINDB_SERVER_BIND setting wasn’t changed from the default localhost:9984), then the BigchainDB Root URL is:

bdb_root_url = 'http://localhost:9984'

Case 2: A Cluster Hosted by Someone Else

If you’re connecting to a BigchainDB cluster hosted by someone else, then they’ll tell you their BigchaindB Root URL. It can take many forms. It can use HTTP or HTTPS. It can use a hostname or an IP address. The port might not be 9984. Here are some examples:

bdb_root_url = 'http://example.com:9984'
bdb_root_url = 'http://api.example.com:9984'
bdb_root_url = 'http://example.com:1234'
bdb_root_url = 'http://example.com'  # http is port 80 by default
bdb_root_url = 'https://example.com'  # https is port 443 by default
bdb_root_url = 'http://12.34.56.123:9984'
bdb_root_url = 'http://12.34.56.123:5000'

Case 3: Docker Container on localhost

If you are running the Docker-based dev setup that comes along with the bigchaindb_driver repository (see Development Environment with Docker for more information), and wish to connect to it from the bdb-driver linked (container) service, use:

bdb_root_url = 'http://bdb-server:9984'

Alternatively, you may connect to the containerized BigchainDB node from “outside”, in which case you need to know the port binding:

$ docker-compose port bdb-server 9984
0.0.0.0:32780
bdb_root_url = 'http://0.0.0.0:32780'

Next, try some of the basic usage examples.